Clutch and lost motion assembly for door latches



July 12, 1955 QUIGLEY ETAL 2,712,749

CLUTCH AND LOST MOTION ASSEMBLY FOR DOOR LATCHES Filed May 10 1951 5 SheetsSheet l INVENTORS Hen-25am- QmaLEY Fla: 2.. HsnmAuTeRMEsz W d W ATTORN :Ys

July 12, 1955 QUIGLEY ET AL 2,712,749

CLUTCH AND LOST MOTION ASSEMBLY FOR DOOR LATCHES Filed May 10, 1951 3 SheetsSheet 2 HERBERT QUIGLEY HERMAN Ten Mesa lnvewroszs ATTORNEYS July 12, 1955 H. QUIGLEY ET AL 2,712,749

CLUTCH AND LOST MOTION ASSEMBLY FOR DOOR LATCHES Filed May 10, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 /n vemols Herberf Qu/glgg Herman 7rMeer United States Patent CLUTCH AND LOST MOTION ASSEMBLY FOR DOOR LATCHES Application May 10, 1951', Serial No. 225,486 4 Claims. (31. 70 379 This invention relates to a novel operating mechanism for actuating a bolt, mounted on a door and adapted to be projected outwardly to enter a keeper on the door frame. This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application entitled Lock Mechanism, Serial Number 123,212, filed October 24, 1949, and now abancloned.

Bolts of this type may be actuated by a knob or equiva lent manual means on the inner side of the door or by a key operated lock on the outer side of the door. The bolt may be Withdrawn into the door by either of these means. The inside knob may be operated independently of the key actuated lock whereby, if the bolt is moved to locking position by means of the key actuated lock, the bolt may be retracted by means of the knob or by means of the key actuated lock or any' other combination of these operating mechanisms. The extension of the bolt by means of the knob is readily accomplished without actuation of the lock o'n the outside of the door. For operation of the lock and the bolt by means of the key, the lock is pushed inwardly to effect a connection between the driver on the lock and a gear permanently attached to the shaft mounting the knob. Until the lock is pushed inwardly, there is no operating connection between this shaft and the lock itself.

The present invention is directed to a novel mechanisrn for insuring a driving connection between the lock and the shaft when the lock is pressed inwardly and rotated by its key. For effecting this driving connection an auxiliary or floating driver is interposed between the driver attached to the key actuated lock and the gear mounted on the shaft operatively connected to the bolt. The auxiliary driver is' designed to effect a transfer of motion between the driver on the lock and the gear on the shaft even though there is some displacement in alignment between the driver on the lock 0 and the gear. The auxiliary driver also permits incorporation into the mechanism the necessary allowance or lost motion essential to this type of device to overcome manufacturing and installation tolerances as well as careless operation.

Heretofore, a positive connection has not always been effected between the driver on the lock and the gear due to failure of engagement of the driver and the gear when misalignment occurred in the necessary lost motion connection between these two parts. It frequently happened, when the misalignment between the driver on the lock and the gear exceeded the arc length of the lost motion arrangement in the connection between this driver and the gear, that the lock could be rotated al most a complete revolution before a connection was made between the driver and the gear; It, therefore, became necessary to rotate the lock through two complete turns in order to actuate the bolt. This occurred particularly when the bolt wasextended by means of the inside knob but the bolt was not extendedits full length. By means of the auxiliary or floating drivera connection is effected between thedriver on the'lock and the gear even 2,712,749 Patented July 12, 1955 though the driver on the lock may be misaligned to a limited extent with respect to the gear and, in the absence of the floating driver, no connection would have been effected.

Accordingly, it is the object and purpose of the pres ent invention to provide means assuring a positive operation of the bolt by' the key operated lock even though limited misalignment exists between the lock and the gear. It is a further object of this invention to provide this improvement in operation without creating excessive lost motion between the gear and the driver on the lock.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, horizontal, sectional view through the free edge portion of the door showing the lock with the upper half of the casing surrounding the bolt and its actuating mechanism removed, the section being taken substantially along the plane 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, vertical, central, sectional view taken substantially along the plane 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical, sectional view through the lock housing and the mechanism mounted therein showing the parts in their normal position.

Figure 4 is a view identical to that appearing in Figure 3 but showing the key operated lock pressed inwardly to bolt operating position and the driver on the lock out of register with the geardriving the bolt.

Figure 5 is an exploded, oblique view of the gear,

auxiliary driver and main driver of the mechanismhoused within the lock housing. I

Figure 6' is an outwardly directed view of the gear showing the auxiliary driver in hidden lines and the driving tongue on the main driver when each of the direct driving connection is effected between the main driver and the gear.

Figure 7 is a viewidentical to that appearing in Figure 6 except that it shows the main driver and the gear misaligned with the driving connection effected between these two parts by means of the auxiliary driver.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The door 1 is equipped with a cylindrical bolt 2, slidably mounted in a housing. The housing has an open outer end for the projection of the bolt therethrough. The outer portion 3 of the housing is preferably of a cylindrical form and the inner portion 4 of a generally rectangular cross section. 5 is connected to the with the rod. 5. Adjacent one end of the collars 6 and between the collars 6 and the bolt' 2, a guide block 7, aflix'ed to or integral with the rod 5, rides against the upper side of the inner portion 4 of the housing 40.

From the inner side of the door 1, the bolt 2 is actuated by means of a spindle 8 having elongated pinion teeth therearound for engaging the collars 6. A knob 9 or other hand-engageable means is secured to the inner'erld of the spindle 8. An escutcheon 19, through which passes the outer end of the spindle 8, covers the inner end of the opening 11. The opening 11 extends transversely through the door land is usually of cylindrical form with the spindle 8 located axially therein. The inner portion 4 of the housing extends across the opening 11, as shown in Figure 2.

The outer end of the opening 11 is closed by a lock housing 12 (Figure 1) consisting of a relatively heavy casting having intermediate its ends a skirt 13 serving as an escutcheo n. The skirt 1 3, at its mamas against the adjacent face of the door around the outer end of the opening 11. The lock housing 12 includes a sleeve 14 projecting into the opening 11, as shown in Figure 1.

An axial opening is provided in the outer portion of the lock housing in which the barrel of a lock 15is mounted for both rotation and limited longitudinal or axial movement. The spring actuated tumblers 16 are mounted in the lock housing 12 for cooperation with the barrel 15 and key 17. The key 17 is insertable into the outer end of the barrel 15 in the usual manner of locks of this wellknown type and character. The outer end of the barrel 15 issomewhat enlarged, as is the outer end 'of the axial opening through the lock housing 12 receiving the barrel 15. The enlarged outer portion of the axial opening receives the enlarged portion of the barrel. Where the larger diameter outer portion of the axial opening meets the remaining portion of the axial opening a stop shoulder is provided.

A main driver 18 is permanently secured to the inner end of the barrel 15. The driver 18, as shown in Figure 5, comprises a generally disc-like metal plate havingat its upper side an outwardly turned tongue 19 and at its lower side an inwardly turned tongue 20. The tongue 19 and the tongue 20 are arranged diametrically opposite each other. The tongue 19 normally enters a recess 19a in the lock housing 12 when thelock barrel 15 is in its outward position (Figure 3). In this position the driver 18 cannot be rotated.

At the inner side of the driver 18 there is located a floating or auxiliary driver 21. The auxiliary driver 21 comprises a flat plate of generally circular shape, having, at

its upper side, an inwardly turned lip 22 and at its lower side an arc-shaped notch 23. A coiled compression spring 24, bearing against the inner face of the auxiliary. driver 21, holds the auxiliary driver against the main driver 18, the tongue 21 extending through the notch 23. The combination of the tongue 20 and notch 23 constitutes the second lost motion connection. The diameter of the auxiliary driver 21 is less than that of the main driver 18. The lip 22 of the auxiliary driver 21 is spaced a greater radial'distance from the center of the auxiliary driver than the radial spacing of the tongue 20 from the center of the main driver 18.

The gear 25 is formed from sheet metal and is of a generally cup-like shape, Centrally of the crown of the gear 25 is an opening provided with gear teeth 26. The spindle 8 extends through the opening in the gear 25 with the pinion teeth thereon meshing with the gear teeth 26 of the gear25. The gear 25, at its outer end, is provided with a radially projecting, annular flange 27. An elongated, arcuate slot or notch 28 is cut or pierced through the upper side of the annular flange 27. An arc-shaped recess 29 is cut in the lower side of the annular flange 27 The notch 28 is in radial alignment with the tongue 22 of the auxiliary driver 21 and the recess 29 is in radial alignment with the tongue 20 of the main driver 18. The combination of the recess 29 and the tongue 20 constitutes the first lost motion connection. The combination of the notch 28 and the lip 22 constitutes the third lost motion connection. The recess 29 and the notch 28 are so spaced, radially, that when the auxiliary driver 21 and maindriver 18 are concentric with the gear 25, the tongue 20 will not enter the notch 28 and the lip 22 will not enter the recess 29.

Located within the inner end of the sleeve 14 is a sheet metal closure plate or cap 30. The cap 30- extends across the inner end of the sleeve 14 and is secured by the split spring-locking ring 31. The lock barrel 15, main driver 18, auxiliary driver 21, gear 25 and the spindle 8 are all concentrically located. A second coiled compression spring 32, which may be of conical form, at its inner end, bears against the retaining cap 30 and at I its outer end bears against the flange 27. The spring 32 presses the flange 27 against an annular shoulder with til) '- tongue 20.

in the sleeve 14 providedas a stop therefor. 'Theshoul'd'er holds the flange 27 a sufficient distance from the auxiliary driver 21 and the main driver 18 whereby, with the lock barrel 15 in its outward position (Figure 3), there is no engagement between the gear 25 and the lip 22 or the tongue 20. The force of the spring 24 is less than that of the spring 32 whereby the spring 24 may be fully compressed before compression of spring 32 is efiected.

The normal position of the lock barrel 15 with respect to the gear 25 engaging the spindle 8 is shown in Figure 3. In this position the main driver 18 and the auxiliary driver 21 are disconnected from the flange 27 of the gear 25, the spring 32 holding the flange 27 against the shoulder in the sleeve 14 and the spring 24 holding the auxiliary driver 21, main driver 18 and lock barrel 15 in their outward position. The outward movement of these parts is limited by contact between the main driver 18 and the shoulder in the lock housing ,12. In this position the finger 19 is received into the recess 19a for holding the main driver 18 and lock barrel 15 against rotation. The knob 9, however, through the spindle 8, is free to rotate for projection or retraction of the lock bolt 2. Since the gear 25 engages the spindle 8, the gear always rotates withthe spindle whether the spindle is operated by means of the knob 9 or by means of the lock 15. To elfect movement of the bolt 2 from fully retracted to fully projected position, or vice versa, the spindle 8 is. rotated approximately 360". Thus, the notch 28 and the recess 29 each pass through an arc of 360 and occupythe same position after movement of the bolt as before.

. The auxiliary driver 21 is always held with the main driver 18 by the spring 24 and always rotates with the main driver 18 except for the amount of lost motion permitted by the differential in size between the tongue 20 and the notch 23. When the bolt 2 is to be actuated bythe key 17, the key 17 is inserted into the outer end of the barrel 15 to properly locate the tumblers 16 and free the barrel 15 for rotative movement. At the same time an inward thrust is imparted to the barrel 15 by means of the key 17 from its outward position (Figure 3) to its inward position (Figure 4). This inward movement removes the tongue 19 from the recess 19a, freeing the lock barrel 15 for rotation. When the bolt 2 is in fully retracted position or fully projected position, the lip 22 and tongue 20 will alignwith and pass through the notch 28 and recess 29 respectively, as the barrel 15 is pressed inwardly (Figure 6). When this occurs, rotation of the barrel 15 and main driver 18, in either direction will cause rotation of the gear 25 by engagement of the tongue 20 with one end of the recess 29, that is, by means of the first lost motion connection Under these circumstances, the auxiliary driver 21 will rotate with the main driver but it will not transmit any motion because the motion isby-passing it throughthe Engagement of one end of the notch 23 by the'tongue 20 rotates the auxiliary driver 21 with the main driver 18, with the lip 22 intermediate the ends of the no tch 28. The notches 23 and 29 are substantially greater in length than 20. This differential in size creates sufficient lost motion to take care of all normal manufacturing and operating tolerances causing minor misalignment of the parts.

When the bolt 2, for any reason, is not fullyretracted or projected, the resulting misalignment between the gear 25 and the main driver 18 maybe sufiicient to prevent the tongue 20 from entering the recess 29. In this case the flange 27 will be forced inwardly by the end of the tongue 20, adjacent the recess 29 but the other side of the flange 27- will remain in its normal outward position and the lip 22 will enter the slot 28 (Figures 3 and 7). Since theflip 22 is centered in the notch 28 when the notch 23 and recess 29 are aligned (Figure 6), the lip 22 will still enter: the notch 28 when the auxiliary driver 21 in engagement is rotated so that the notch 23 and recess 29 are'offsetwith respect to each other approximately one-half their the width of the lip 22 and tongue 7 length (Figure 7). When this occurs, the tongue 20 will pass through the notch 23 but not the recess 29. The rotary motion of the main driver 18 will be transmitted to the auxiliary driver by the tongue 20. The auxiliary driver 21 will transmit this motion to the gear 25 by the engagement of the lip 22 with one end of the notch 28, that is, by means of the third lost motion connection.

Should the misalignment of the gear 25 and the main driver 18 be so great that neither the tongue 20 nor the lip 22 register with their respective openings in the gear 25, the lock barrel 15 may, if rotated in the right direction, rotate until the lip 22 and the tongue 20 register with the notch 28 and the recess 29 respectively. This rotation will be a full 360 less the amount of lost motion permittedby the notch 28 and recess 29. Only one complete 360 rotation is necessary to operate the bolt because whatever position the bolt may be in, during this rotation, the bolt will be picked up and carried to the limit of its travel in the direction it is desired to move it. One of the major purposes of this structure is to assure the alignment of the lock barrel at the end of each operation, with the key 17 positioned vertically (Figure 3) and with the same edge always directed upwardly. Only at this one point in the rotation of the lock barrel 15 will the tongue 19 seat within the recess I 19a. It is only when the tongue 19 may seat within the recess 19a that the lock barrel 15 may move outwardly to disengage the gear 25. The combination of the tongue 19 and the recess 19a prevents the barrel 15 from being rotated without the barrel being pressed inwardly to actuate the spindle 8.

Unless provision is made both for lost motion and the auxiliary driver, the bolt 2 could be moved to either one of its limits of extended or retracted movement without the key 17 being free to return to its original position, the only position at which it can be removed from the barrel 15. This invention assures actuation of the gear 25 by the key 17 even though misalignment occurs in excess of the lost motion permitted in the first lost motion connection, due to a loose fit between the barrel 15 and the lock housing 12. The present invention permits this to be accomplished with a minimum of lost motion. The invention also makes provision for those situations in which the bolt is not extended or retracted the full length of its travel. This latter is accomplished by means of the auxiliary driver.

The structure described is very practical and useful and has proven particularly desirable in practical use.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

We claim:

1. In a lock structure, the combination comprising: a housing having an axial opening therethrough; a key operated lock barrel mounted in the outer portion of said housing for rotatable and axially slidable movement; a spindle rotatably mounted with respect to and extending into said housing concentrically of said barrel; a main driver concentrically secured to the inner end of said barrel; a gear mounted on said spindle for rotation therewith; a first resilient means for urging said gear toward said main driver; an auxiliary driver between said gear and said main driver and concentric with each thereof; a second resilient means for urging said auxiliary driver into engagement with said main driver; a second lost motion connection for transmitting rotary motion from said main driver to said auxiliary driver; a stop in said housing for holding said gear out of engagement with said auxiliary driver and said main driver when said barrel is in its outward axial position; a first lost motion connection for transmitting rotary motion from said main driver to said gear when said barrel is in its inward axial position; a third lost motion connection for transmitting rotary motion from said auxiliary driver to said gear when said barrel is in its inward axial position and when said first lost motion connection is misaligned.

2. in a lock structure, the combination comprising: a housing having an axial opening therethr'ough; a key operated lock barrel mounted in the outer portion of said housing for rotatable, axially slidable movement; a spindle rotatably mounted with respect to and extending into said housing concentrically of said barrel; a main driver concentrically secured to the inner end of said barrel; means on said main driver for preventing rota-' tion of said barrel when said barrel is in its outward axial position; an inwardly directed tongue on said main driver; a rotatable, auxiliary driver concentric with said main driver and having a recess longer than the width of said tongue for receiving said tongue and an inwardly directed lip adjacent the periphery thereof, said lip being radially inwardly of said tongue and diametrically positioned therefrom; a gear on said spindle affixed to said spindle for rotation therewith; a peripheral recess in said gear for receiving said tongue; a slot in said gear substantially longer than the width of said lip for receiving said lip, said slot being radially inwardly of said said barrel; said tongue and said auxiliary driver recess and said lip and said slot constituting lost motion connections for transmitting rotary motion from said main driver to said gear when said tongue and said peripheral recess on said gear are misaligned; a stop in said housing for holding said gear out of engagement with said main driver and said auxiliary driver when said barrel is in its outward position.

3. In a lock structure, the combination comprising: a housing having an axial opening therethrough; a key means for urging said main driver and said auxiliary drlver out of engagement with said gear; a second lost motion connection for transmitting rotary motion from said main driver to said gear when said barrel is in its inward axial position; a third lost motion connection for transmitting rotary motion from said auxiliary driver to said gear when said barrel is in its inward axial position and said first lost motion connection is inoperative said second and third lost motion connections being aligned throughout larger sectors than said first lost ametrically opposed from each other; secured to the inner end of said locking barrel having a tongue at one side adapted to enter one of the said openings'in said flange; an auxiliary driver located against the main driver, said auxiliary driver having a lip extending inwardly at one side and an opening diametrically opposed thereto through which the tongue of the main driver passes, said lip onthe auxiliary driver'beingadapb edto enter the opening in said flange diametrically opposite from the first mentioned opening in said flange at a smaller distance than that of said tongue, and said tongue on the main driver passing through the opening of the auxiliary driver; said opening in said auxiliary driver having a length greater than the width of said tongue, said diametrically opposite opening in said flange having a length greater than the width a main driver of said lipfspring rneans normally separating said drivers and said member; said tongue and said opening in said auxiliary driver and said lipand said diametrically opposite opening .insaid flange constituting lostmotion connections for transmitting rotary motion from said main driver to said member when said tongue, and the opening associated therewith in said flange are misaligned.

R efer ences, Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 963,632. Neflienet al July 5, 1910 Aug. 16,-1927 1,639,535 Russo 1,814,302 Falk' July 14, 1931 1,929,658 "Solliday Oct. '10, 1933 2,550,833 Londo' May 1, 1951 

